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Paul McCartney has worn pearl snap shirts on "Saturday Night Live." Kid Rock has rocked the snaps, too. In fact, countless musicians and actors, such as Texas' Matthew McConaughey, often don new or vintage versions of the Western wear.

"Back when I started the band as the Dead Crickets (in 1992), that kind of Western cool shirt thing was the way to go," said Kevin Geil, 48, lead singer and acoustic guitarist for the San Antonio band Two Tons of Steel. "Everybody had 'em, so you'd go out looking for them.

Geil's first shirt - brown with a tan yoke and cuffs and gold inlays - was made by H Bar C, a clothier established in 1906.

"I bought it at a vintage clothing store (Camarillo's) in San Antonio. I still have it, my wife wears it. It's one of the coolest pearl snaps I have."

Geil now owns more than 50 snap shirts, both new and vintage. Many of his new shirts are from Walls, a ranch- and workwear clothing company.

Geil considers a shirt's cut, color and piping when he buys.

"The old ones in the '70s have the big collars and the cuffs, and they are kind of gaudy," Geil said. "I don't think they'll ever go out of style."

"In those days, when cowboys rode into town they wore simple chamois shirts and denim Levis," Weil said in an interview that was published by Design Observer shortly after his death. "They had two or three months pay in their pocket to raise hell with and get drunk, and I got the idea that they'd buy a few fancy shirts while they were at it."

He made the shirts close fitting so they wouldn't snag on brush and used longer-lasting snap closures. He also patented the saw-tooth pocket design common on Western shirts. He then marketed the style to the general public because he realized he couldn't make enough money selling shirts solely to cowboys.

Chris Wise, 26, bassist for the Houston indie folk-rock band Buxton and a staffer at Cactus Music, is always on the lookout for a pearl snap shirt, favoring vintage over new. One of his favorite shirts is a beige number with white, maroon and teal stitching.

"I got it at Leopard Lounge about a year ago," Wise said. "I like the (stitching), I like the fit. I like that if I want to continue to wear it, I can't completely let myself go."

Wise says he often scours resale and vintage shops while he's touring.

"I really like Agora, in Athens, Ga. I dress very simple, so I'm very particular about something being too flashy or busy."

In Houston, Wise shops at Taxi Taxi or Goodwill, but most often he trades with friends. Another Houston collector is Mike Hildebrand, who, with Laura Levine, owns Replay on 19th Street in the Heights. Hildebrand has collected pearl snap shirts for nearly 15 years. After scoring about 10 at a garage sale a decade or so ago, he began selling them.

"I picked them up and sort of went crazy," Hildebrand said. "When I was bartending I would set up a blanket at what was called Swap and Bop. People would set up at the Continental [Club] and buy, sell and trade stuff from musical instruments to Hot Wheels. ... People in the music business and the cool crowd were starting to wear them."

Hildebrand says at one time he had approximately 150 shirts, but has since pared them to between 40 and 50.

"Every shirt I had in my closet was a Western snap shirt," said Hildebrand, who, like Geil, favors shirts from the '70s with a lot of piping and embroidery. "I remember in the '70s my dad was wearing them. He was wearing long-sleeve, cotton snap shirts with big collars. I loved that."

Hildebrand recommends looking for older shirts made in the U.S., because the quality is better than in new.

He says to consider your personality and style when shopping.

"Get one that you are going to wear," Hildebrand says. "If you aren't an over-the-top person, get something simple. They've been around forever. There really is no era for snap shirts."